Countdown to Spring - Okay, So I'm Late

I normally watch Punxsutawney Phil on live feed getting dragged out what is likely not his den on Groundhog's Day to predict what the next 45 or so days will bring with regard to weather.  I was a little late trying to get on the official website  on February 2nd and therefore didn't get to watch live as Phil predicted an early spring.

I have on more than one occasion called Phil a "stupid woodchuck".  I'll do it when he predicts a continuation of winter-like conditions and has been right, and also when he's predicted early spring-like conditions and been wrong.  There's just no making me happy in February when all I want are warmer temperatures and nothing coming out of the sky that's frozen or freezes on contact with my deck, walkway, car, roads – well, you get the idea.  By this time, I'm tired of shoveling snow – even more so with the bum shoulder I'm nursing that really doesn't like the action of lift the snow/chuck the snow out of the way.  I'm tired of having to bundle up to go to my car and scrape the frost off and/or sit there with it to let it warm up before heading to work.  I've gotten tired of cats that won't even venture outside until the temperature's above freezing (they have a cat door - there is no excuse).  I am tired of houseplants that shed in the winter, get luxurious when put outside in warm weather, then return to shedding within a week of being inside.  I like it when Mother Nature waters them and I don't have to, too.  I wistfully peruse seed catalogs, thinking about how beautiful all of it will look on the deck and balcony of my apartment, knowing full well that you can't really grow much of anything on a deck under a tree canopy that only allows full sunlight for maybe two hours a day and a balcony that can't handle a full blown sun-loving garden.

Yes, indeed, by February, my spring fever is more than apparent.  So when Phil predicts an early spring and it doesn't happen, I want to call for his removal as a meteorological prognosticator.  But except for a few days of chilliness and a day or so of mixed precipitation that disappeared within a day each time, Phil has been on the money this year.  Temperatures in the 40s and 50s, rain instead of snow.  I can take it.  Yes, I know there's a downside to having early warm temperatures, including early and increased insect populations, an increase in allergies, etc.  But this year, I just don't care. 

So, I sincerely hope it stays nice right up until spring and beyond.  Let Punxsutawney Phil be right in his prediction right up until March 19th and beyond.  After all, I hear woodchuck stew is kind of fatty and gamey.

Only 25 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Oh Dear

While there is still some disagreement on how much and how long, the weather services are starting to converge on the 8-12" range of snowfall for my area.  It's 8-12" more than I was looking for at this time in March, but there you are.

Hard to say whether schools will close Monday night or actually wait until the morning to decide.  But, unless this storm takes a serious jog off its predicted path and heads out to sea instead of up the coast, I'm 99.9% certain I'm having Tuesday off from work.  I don't get paid, unfortunately, but I also don't have to venture out into crappy weather, either.

Only 8 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Waiting for Winter to Return

It's presently in the upper 40s, but the cold front is heading toward us as I type this.  We'll drop into the 30s tonight, then 20s tomorrow, 10s tomorrow night, with a repeat of 20s and 10s through Sunday.  It'll be in the 30s during the day after that, but the warmer weather that we've come to know and sort of appreciate won't be back until late next week.

Then, let's talk snow.  The weather forecasting services can't seem to come to an agreement as to how much we're supposed to get.  I mentioned that yesterday.  However, the snow range is now up to 3-6" instead of 2-4" at its high end.  Still not bad, but we're not done.  Next Tuesday is a snow event of unknown amounts.  It could be an inch, it could be 6-10".

I knew there was a reason I didn't put the snow shovel away.  Or my winter coat.  Or gloves.  Or etc.

Only 11 more days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Repeat Performance

Just when we thought last weekend was it for the chilly weather, along comes this weekend with the promise of similarly brisk 10s and 20s, with the added bonus of a little snow on Friday.  Depending on which forecast you follow, we're expecting a trace to 1", 1-3" or 2-4" of snow.

How about none?  None is good, too.

Some of the crocuses and snowdrops managed to survive both the cold snap and the deer dinnertime, and the ones that hadn't even come up yet are also making an appearance.  I guess some of them knew February was way too early to be putting on their spring show.  I also have a a crop crocuses which generally show up about a month after the first group.  Should be interesting to see when they emerge in what's been a oddly warm season.  Stay tuned.

Only 12 more days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Oh, Look - On the Horizon - It's WINTER (Again)

Did I say it or did I say it?  Tonight will see the temperature in my area drop from the low 60s where it is now at around 7 PM into the 40s tonight and then continue to drop during the day tomorrow.  By this weekend, 20s and 30s during the day and 10s at night will be back.  Briefly, but those chilly temps will remind us that this solstice is not over.

March is by no means a safe month.  Winter has been known to make its presence known up to the last official day of its seasonal existence and beyond. It's snowed in April and even once or twice in May here.  Frost is frequent and has ruined the plans of many an overzealous and impatient gardener even after the date regarded as safe for planting.

So enjoy those spring flowers which have prematurely bloomed.  Some of them don't do well once temps are below the freezing point.  But take joy in the fact that they're here now and there will be others to take their place soon.

Now, I wonder what my heating fuel situation is?

Only 19 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - The Lost Weekend

No, no, not that kind of lost weekend.  It was a weekend lost due to lack ability to blog for this series.  Okay, yeah, boring.  But, so was my weekend without electricity.

It started Saturday afternoon.  As I watched the cold front approach from the west, I knew the weather was going to change abruptly and then be back to normal.  Even the National Weather Service only had us in a Severe Thunderstorm Watch area.  Nothing too bad to worry about, right?

It was breezy most of the afternoon, but it was still unseasonably warm in the mid-60s and nice.  It started to cloud up around 5 and around 6:30, it started to rain.  Nothing major, a light rain.  Surprisingly light, given the radar views of what was coming.

Within five minutes, the light rain turned into a deluge and was accompanied by winds that likely hit at least 70 miles per hour, if I remember my Beaufort scale indicators correctly.  The wind didn't last long, but between it, the rain, and the frequent lightning, the power went out within two minutes of the storm hitting.  No electricity between 6:30 PM Saturday and 12:30 this afternoon.  Ye-hah.

I was fortunate in that I had a kerosene heater to keep at least one room warm, although the rest of the house went a little ice-boxy as the temperatures dropped off into the 30s outside and low 40s inside (yes, I checked).  I was also fortunate in that I had a small generator, something I had bought just before Tropical Storm Irene hit the area a few years ago.  As a result of my little power-maker, my fridge stayed cold, although it likely would have anyway given the indoor conditions.  I also had a light, radio, cell phone charger and I even made coffee on Sunday morning.  The generator wasn't too happy with the coffeemaker's extra load, so on Monday, I made coffee by heating water on the kerosene heater and pouring it through the coffee in the filter – not bad.

I even had use of my laptop.  What I didn't have was internet access.  Network was down and my cell phone is so old, it can't pass the SSL protocols anymore.   I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss internet access, but I didn't go into withdrawal like I know some do.  I probably would have been in worse shape if I didn't have the laptop available, though.  Okay, so it's a lower level of tech addiction – sue me.  However, I didn't run the generator 24/7, so even the laptop wasn't available all the time.  I didn't feel like reading.  I didn't feel like writing, either.  I didn't feel doing much of anything beyond staring at the walls and checking with the power company's recorded message of when the power might be coming back on.  Self-induced boredom – it ain't pretty.

When the power finally came back on, I wasn't here.  The power company, after telling us the power would be restored at noon today, changed their message to inform those in the affected area that power wouldn't be restored until 6 PM.  ARGH!  While I knew I had enough kerosene to continue heating, I knew I didn't have enough gasoline for the generator, so I headed out to buy more gas.  While I was out in the great wide world, I met a fellow resident of the area who said that the power came back on about ten minutes ago, about the time I was pulling out of the driveway.  So, I came home, re-plugged in the stuff which had been connected to the generator, turned off the kerosene heater, and then did what I really needed to do – TAKE A SHOWER!  After that, I headed for work for the last three hours of the workday and then returned home.

So, that's the story of my lost weekend due to the passage of a cold front through the area.  Rather not have a repeat performance of the event anytime soon, thank you.  The temperatures are now down in the 30s and 40s again, normal for this time of year.  The crocuses and snowdrops managed to survive and were open to the warmth of the sun today like normal, although we've already established that it's not normal for them to be blooming here this time of year.  But life in general has returned to late winter normalcy.  Mixed feelings about that.

Only 21 days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Well, It's Not the First Time

Many years ago, I planted a small patch of crocuses in a small rock crevice near the front of my house.  I planted light and dark purple, white, yellow and cream colored ones.  While the majority tend to bloom around the same time, the light purple ones have their own earlier timetable, opening their petals to the sun about a week or so before the rest.

Guess what was up this morning?

As I headed out to my car to go to work this morning, I looked down into that crevice and saw five purple crocuses which were maybe about a day from coming into bloom.  When I got home from work, the total was now ten.  Ten purple little buds ready to open up because it's been warm enough these last couple of weeks to wake them and convince them that it's time.

It's not the first time it's happened.  Since I planted this patch back in the 1990s, it's happened about three times, with one time when they were all in bloom and gorgeous in January.  There were also roses in bloom near the hospital in December where I worked at the time.  That was a very topsy-turvy winter temperature season.

My little purple crocuses might be in for a surprise come Sunday, when temperatures will drop back into a more normal range.  But they won't likely be shocked to the point of dying back, either.  Crocuses are a hardy breed of bloom.

And there's hope for a normal spring start yet.  My snowdrops are still snoozing.

Only 24 days until Spring.

Countdown to Fall – Closing Down

A cold front passed through earlier today, bringing with it a fresh, hearty breeze and lower humidity.  It was wonderful and my longer than usual walk this morning was a delight.

However, my joy slowly diminished as the day went by.  The temperature in the very early hours of the morning was in the 70s.  As I write this at close to 3 in the afternoon, it’s now in the mid 60s and the breeze coming in the windows is getting more bracing than refreshing. 

I checked the forecast for the next couple of nights, and much as mid to high 40s and dry makes for better sleeping weather than low 70s and humid, it also makes for chilly surfacing from the covers first thing in the morning.  Brr, Baby.

And so, it begins.  The closing of windows to keep it warmer inside than out.  I only had six windows open to allow for cross-breezes.  I’ve now closed three and there may be one more shut down before I head for bed.  I really don’t want to.  It’s a concession that a) colder mornings have arrived and b) I’m not as young as I used to be and don’t tolerate the cold as well as previously.  It may be eye opening to feel at 5 AM, but it’s also cold on the toes.

However, to keep my denial going for a while longer, the screens and the fans which have sat in front of them all summer will not get put away just yet.  After all, the sun can still warm things and 70s and 80s are still possible, right?  Right?

Only 3 days until Fall.